gaspee days committee 55th gaspee days parade june 13 ... · gaspee days committee attn: parade...

Gaspee Days Committee Attn: Parade Chairperson P.O. Box 1772, Pilgrim Station Warwick, RI 02888

55th Gaspee Days Parade June 13, 2020

Performing Unit Application

In June of 1772 brave colonists from Rhode Island burned the British revenue schooner, HMS Gaspee, in the first overt action leading to the American Revolutionary War. The Village of Pawtuxet, Rhode Island has commemorated this act with our annual Gaspee Days Parade since 1966.

The Gaspee Days Committee would like you and your organization to consider joining in our celebration by participating in our 55th Anniversary Parade to be held on Saturday, June 13, 2020 beginning promptly at 10:00 am. Please remember that the theme of the parade is a patriotic celebration of the 1772 burning of the British revenue schooner, HMS Gaspee, and that we encourage all participants to decorate with this in mind. The purpose of the parade is to commemorate the burning of the HMS Gaspee in 1772, while at the same time, providing entertainment to the public. The parade is composed of the following groups and individuals, all of whom are invited to participate:

Elected Officials A. General Officers of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

1. Governor 2. Lieutenant Governor 3. Secretary of State 4. Attorney General 5. General Treasurer

B. Rhode Island Senators in Congress C. Rhode Island Representatives in Congress D. City of Warwick Mayor and City Council E. City of Cranston Mayor and City Council F. City of Providence Mayor G. Warwick State Senators and Representatives H. Cranston State Senators and Representatives

Honored Guests (to include but not limited to) A. Grand Marshal B. Gaspee Day Committee Charter Members, Past Presidents, President, and Parade Chairperson(s) C. Carrier of the Rhode Island Mace D. Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard and the 88th Army Band E. Rhode Island State Police, Warwick, Cranston, and Providence Color Guards

Colonial Fife and Drum and Militia

Modern Drum and Bugle Corps and Bands

Other community groups We divide the parade into the following ten (10) divisions. Colonial groups are lined up according to charter dates.

1. Rhode Island - All Rhode Island elected politicians and the Pawtuxet Rangers 2. Pawtuxet - All past and present Gaspee Days Committee members with Colonial Militia and Colonial Fife and

Drum 3. Colonial A - Colonial Militia and Colonial Fife and Drum with a few floats and fillers 4. Colonial B - Colonial Militia and Colonial Fife and Drum with a few floats and fillers 5. Colonial C - Colonial Militia and Colonial Fife and Drum with a few floats and fillers 6. Colonial D - Colonial Militia and Colonial Fife and Drum with a few floats and fillers and other marching units 7. RI Shriners Units 8. Warwick - All city council, police and fire departments along with all other units from Warwick 9. Cranston - All city council, police and fire departments along with all other units from Cranston 10. Modern - All other celebrated community groups




The final composition of the parade (participants and line-up) are left up to the discretion of the current Parade Chairperson. The Parade Chairperson has the right to refuse anyone for inclusion in the parade. If your group would like to be considered, please have your group’s authorized agent fill out the attached Application. Read, initial and sign our Safety Rules and Contract and return it to us along with the application. If you require a countersigned copy of the contract for your files, we ask that you send two copies to us, and we will return the countersigned copy to you, upon acceptance. Applications should be mailed to the postal address listed above or e-mailed to [email protected] as early as possible and no later than April 15, 2020. Please include both a valid postal and e-mail address to ensure future correspondence. Don’t forget to include an updated, brief overview of your group. Detailed information on parade participation can be found at www.Gaspee.com. Do not hesitate to contact us at the above e-mail address or at (401) 781-1772 (ext. 1), if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you soon!




PARADE RULES AND REGULATIONS: The Gaspee Days Committee is licensed by both the Cities of Warwick and Cranston to conduct the annual Gaspee Days Parade under its supervision. Upon discovery of any rule violations, the appropriate police department will be contacted to rectify the situation. The following Gaspee Days Parade Participant Rules and Regulations apply to all persons or groups (including politicians). These rules are general, and are subject to revision by the Gaspee Days Committee and by the Parade Chairperson prior to the event.

1. Participation of any person or group in the parade is at the sole discretion of the Gaspee Days Committee, which

reserves the right to exclude any such person or group.

2. Only those individuals and groups that have been accepted by the Gaspee Days Committee will be allowed to march in the parade. All participants must initial and sign the attached Contract Agreement.

3. Only individuals who hold elective office in federal, state, and/or local government and have received a written invitation from the Gaspee Days Committee may march in the parade. Officials holding such position are also not permitted to advertise a candidacy.

4. Acceptance into the parade will be based on theme, logistics, spacing, and other needs of the Gaspee Days Committee.

5. The position in the parade line of march of each and every participant will be at the sole discretion of the Gaspee Days Committee.

6. All float applicants must submit the theme of their float as part of their application. 7. No one may use a public-address system, loudspeaker, or bullhorn without specific authorization from the Gaspee

Days Committee as this interferes with the parade enjoyment of our audience. 8. No overtly commercial, sexual, political, or religious themes are allowed in the parade. Any participant that violates

this rule will be removed immediately from the parade. 9. No signage may be displayed that is not in accordance with the patriotic theme and celebration of the parade.

Sponsors and tow vehicles may display only minimal signs so as not to detract from the aesthetic value of the float or group.

10. Support vehicles other than those towing a float are not allowed to be in the parade unless specifically authorized by the Parade Committee.

11. All antique vehicles must be able to remain idle due to various stops along the parade route. 12. All floats should measure no higher than 12 feet 6 inches from the ground. 13. No parade participant may in any way solicit funds or donations from the parade audience.




GROUP INFORMATION:

Please fill in all fields below with the necessary information to register. All fields are required unless otherwise stated. Incomplete applications may result in a delay of processing your application.

Group Name

Number of Participants in Group Military Charter Date (if applicable)

Street Address

City State Zip

Primary Contact Name

Primary Phone Number Primary E-mail

Group Website or Facebook Page Please tell us the total number you will be bringing to parade:

_____Trucks _____Floats _____Cannon _____SUV _____Car _________________________________Other (please specify)

Please check here if your group will be singing or playing music. If yes, please describe below. This acknowledges that amplified speakers,

PA systems, bullhorns, and any other form of amplification devices are prohibited from use in the parade.

Please include a brief description and history of your group below (in third-person – ‘they’ not ‘we’) suitable for news media. Please keep description to a few short sentences.




PARADE SAFETY RULES: Safety of our parade audience and participants are of our utmost concern. Violations of Parade Rules and Regulations and Safety Rules may result in immediate expulsion from the parade. Please initial each one, acknowledging that you have read them, and then sign the contract below.

PLEASE INITIAL NEXT TO EACH NUMBER CONTRACT AGREEMENT 1. Each parade participating group or person must be responsible not only for their own safety, but also for the safety of the public

audience around them. Please immediately bring any unsafe or troublesome conditions to the attention of a police officer or Division Coordinator/Gaspee Days Committee Representative.

2. Vehicle drivers are solely responsible for the safe operation of their vehicle.

3. No one may carry or wear stiff or firm signs as these both obstruct views and can injure members of the crowded parade audience.

4. No objects of any kind may be handed, thrown, sprayed or otherwise distributed to spectators (this includes balloons, toys, candy, trinkets, literature, pamphlets, buttons, canned confetti, silly string etc.) from any vehicle or float or by any parade participant.

5. Parade vehicles and floats may not be approached by persons along the parade route, whether by a spectator or parade participant, and whether or not the vehicle or float has stopped. The vehicle or float may not be used as a base of operations for groups or persons accompanying such vehicle or float.

6. All acrobatic stunts, including but not limited to, gymnastic and cheerleading acrobatics, must supply a Certificate of Liability Insurance for the Gaspee Days Committee, City of Warwick and City of Cranston.

7. No alcoholic beverages may be consumed by parade participants until after they have finished their parade route. All parade participants are responsible for observing state and municipal laws and regulations pertaining to alcohol possession and consumption.

8. Military reenactment groups must not fire in the immediate vicinity of horses in the parade. All firearms must be aimed away from people, and fired only under the command of a uniformed officer. Musket charges are limited to 100 grains of black powder. Cannons may not be fired along the parade route except by the special contingent stationed at Pawtuxet Bridge.

9 Parade groups with animals of any kind must provide people to perform immediate "pooper scooper" duties. This is, of course, in fairness to those who march behind you, as well as for the well-being of our parade audience. If you do not provide this very important duty, we will be unable to allow your animals to participate in the parade.

10. Due to crowd safety concerns, we do not allow privately-owned horses in our parade. Corporate or municipal horses must be insured.

11. Participants must obey uniformed police officers and red-shirt Gaspee Days Committee members at all times, including respect to spacing.

12. No one may interfere with the progress of the parade anywhere along the parade route. There should never be more than 100 feet between groups (the distance between two telephone poles). Groups should perform as they are marching. A group may not stop to perform unless the entire parade has stopped ahead.

13. No scooters, bicycles, Segways, skateboards, wagons, shopping carts, etc. are allowed in or along the parade route unless specifically allowed by the Gaspee Days Committee.

In consideration for the Gaspee Days Committee, we agree to participate in the Gaspee Days Parade on Saturday, June 13, 2020 and will abide by all Gaspee Days Committee directives, especially with respect to safety and good taste. In recognition of the opportunity afforded to our organization to participate in the Gaspee Days Parade, we hereby waive any right or cause of action arising because of our organization’s participation in said parade from which any liability may or could accrue against the Gaspee Days Committee, and any of its agents and volunteers. Our organization agrees that this waiver shall include any rights of causes of action resulting from personal injury to members of our organization or property damage sustained in connection with our participation in the parade. Final acceptance of this contract is solely at the discretion of the Gaspee Days Committee.

Payment to groups is processed by June 30, 2020. Fee requested by group for participation (bid):

Name of Authorized Group Agent (Print) Title of Authorized Group Agent

Signature of Authorized Group Agent Date Internal Use Only

Signature of Authorized Gaspee Days Committee Agent Date Approved/Rejected Contract #

gaspee days committee 55th gaspee days parade june 13 ... · gaspee days committee attn: parade...

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